A Beautiful Day

A heartfelt thank you to all of my friends who have expressed their care and concern over Bucky's passing. Monday we returned his body back to his true owner. Today, I was able to let his spirit fly home, too.

While I was outside at lunch, I was thinking how much he would have enjoyed sitting in one of the windows of the house, watching the birds and other critters, soaking up the sunlight. Then I realized--if it is so nice here, imagine how awesomely beautiful it is where he is now.

Bask in the sunshine of our Lord, sweet Bucky. It was our incredible privilege to be your caretaker while you were here. And I know we will see you again.

Bucky, 4/29/08-4/13/09

Today my girlfriend, Kris, and I had to put our little kitten Bucky down. He was fine all through last week, but Friday night (Good Friday--how ironic) I noticed he was having trouble breathing. We took him to the emergency clinic, and they found fluids in his lungs--blood and other stuff. They stabilized him, and he got to spend the weekend with us. Today I took him to his regular vet, and they ran some diagnostics and discovered feline leukemia, and she said there might be other cancers at play. Because he was so young, she said he would continue fighting for every breath until the last minute, rather than just lie down and go to sleep like an older cat would. So we decided to have him euthanized. It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make, but I know it was the right one.

Bucky was a frisky feline, always wanting to be around his people. He loved to jump on my lap when I was sitting on the desk chair here at home or on the small tower of drawers in the bathroom. And wherever he was in the house, when he heard the faucet in the upstairs bathroom running, there he was. As soon as the faucet was off, he was in the sink, trying to lick up the water that hadn't drained yet. He also loved to chew on Kris' red purse. He enjoyed antagonizing big brother Booger, and he was always in the bed at night before I got the lights shut off and was there in the morning when the alarm went off.

We will miss you, our little Bucky Bear. Rest in Peace--that cancer can't hurt you now. We will always remember you, cherish you, and love you.

Early Nominees for "Dumbass of the Year" Award

From today's South Bend Tribune:

At least two people have been scammed by a man selling sheets of plywood wrapped to look like flat-panel television sets, police say.

According to Mishawaka police, twice last week, a man in a dented white mini-van approached customers in parking lots at businesses along Grape Road and sold them what he claimed were flat-panel televisions.

Police said the man offered two stories. In one, they said, he needed the money to support his family. In the other, he couldn't return the sets because he had lost the receipts.

A man paid $300 for two sets, police said, and a woman paid $600 for one.

Not until they returned home and unwrapped the sets did they realize they were plywood.

Police said it's likely more people have been scammed but are too embarrassed to file a report.

Just like the people who got taken by Bernie Madoff--remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.